Fence-weaving machine



(No Model.)

G. J. OLINE. I FENGE'WEAVING MAGHINE.

No. 379,100. Patented Mar. 6, 1888.

DIIDDDIIIIH HHIJUHUD- IJVVEJVTOR Geo. 7.67m

.dttorney N. PETERS, PhmLhhc m r-u. Wnhingion, n.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE J. CLINE, OF GOSHEN, INDIANA.

FENCE-WEAVIYNGI MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,100, dated March 6,1888.

Application filed October 22, 1887. Serial No. 253.110.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. CLIN a citizen of the United States, and aresident of. Goshen, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Machines; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation of my improved machine.Fig. 2 is a front elevation of twister-frame. Fig. 3 isa plan View ofthe picket device B. Fig. 4 is a front view of same. Fig. 5 is avertical longitudinal section through center of cylinder J Fig. 6 is ahorizontal section on line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a side elevation ofthe tension device.

The invention relates to improvements in machines for makingwire-and-picket fences; and it consists in the construction and novelcombination of parts, hereinafter described, illustratedin theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

The invention pertains to both the tension and the twisting mechanism,the former of which will be first described.

Referring to the drawings, A designates an upright of proper height,rising at a suitable point from the base-frame a, composed oflongitudinal and transverse pieces, as shown, and held stiffly uponthebase-frame by the inclined brace-rods a a, as shown. To the facingedge of the upright are attached at proper points the tension devices B,each of similar construction and each intended to produce the requisitetension in one of the pairs of wires used in making the fence. Eachtension device B consists of a rectangularly'bent bracket-plate, b,having bearings in the ends of its arms for the reel-shaft 0, one end ofwhich is extended outside the'corresponding arm, and squared to re ceiveand be turned by a crank-handle, c. The reelshaft is held in its bearingby a circumferential shoulder at one end and a transverse pin at theother end outside of the arms of the bracket.

D is a bolt having an eye, d, in which the (No model.)

reel-shaft rests centrally and turns, the wires X X being wound in theusual manner on each side of said eye. The nutD passes through thetransverse part of the bracket-plate and through a suitable opening inthe upright and engages a nut, E, on the surface of the bracket, and asimilar nut, e, on the outer edge of the upright. By screwing outwardthe nut E and screwing inward the nut e the eye d may be made to bindmore or less upon the reel-shaft, and thereby increase the tension ofthe wires when leaving the reel-shaft to give the proper rigidity to thefence.

By means of the handle 0 the coils of wire may be rolled on therespective reel shafts.

The twisting mechanism is as follows:

F is a twister-frame composed of the two pairs of parallel side bars, ff, connected at their upper and lower ends, the bars on one side beingconnected together their entire length, but those on the other sideseparated between the connectingpieces at their upper and lower ends.

9 g are pieces connected to the edges of the frame ,F at the feet of thebars f f by a bolt, G,which passes through them at proper points andengages a nut on the outer side of the corresponding piece, so that thesaid pieces turn stiffly on the lower end of the frame.

H H aresimilarrollersjournaled in the ends of the pieces 9 on oppositesides of the frame,

and which permit the latter to be moved back and forth, when necessary,in making a fence.

The twisting devices connected to the frame F are of similarconstruction, with the exception of the one from which the others areactuated, and which has certain additions to said construction,hereinafter described. Each of said devices consists of two similar sidepieces or plates, I I, resting, respectively, against the opposite sidesof the frame, and having their ends connected at the opposite edges ofthe frame by the bolts 2', which pass through suitable openings in saidends, with their heads resting against the outside of one piece I andengaging nuts-i, which rest against the outside of the opposite piece.The two opposite pieces can, by unscrewing the said nuts, he slid on theframe, and then, by screwing up the nuts, secured at the desiredposition thereon.

Each piece I is enlarged at its central portion, and provided in saidenlargement with a bearing for the rotary hollow cylinder J, upon which,insidethe frame F, is secured the chainwheel j, all of said wheels beingconnected and actuated byachain, K, that is crossed between adjacentwheels, so that said adjacent wheels rotate in opposite directions.

Each hollow cylinder has passing cent-rally through it a bolt, L, whichpasses also centrally through a cap, M, fitting upon one end of thecylinder, and havingtwo opposite openings, m m, at equal distances fromits center to receive the wire from the corresponding tension device.The tapped end of the said bolt passes centrally through a piece, Z,which his in the rabbeted end of the cylinder and engages a nut, Z, onthe outside of said piece, so that the bolt and twisting-cap M can beheld securely in position and turn with the cylinder.

The actuating twisting device has its pieces Iextended beyond the closededge of the frame F, and has in the ends of said extensions bearings forthe shaft N, which is extended and squared on the side opposite thetwisting-cap M for the reception of the crank-handle O.

O is a chainwheel on said extended end of the shaft, and P is a similarchain-wheel on the extended end of the corresponding hollow cylinder.The wheels 0 and P are connected by the chain Q, so that by rotating theshaft N by its crank handle 0 the said chain'wheels are rotated, andconsequently the chain-wheels J, also by means of the chain K, thustwisting the adjacentpairs of wires from the tensionframe in oppositedirections.

R R are the devices by means of which the distance of the pickets fromthe twistingframe is adjusted. These devices each consist of atransverse bar or base-piece, S, and two similar blades, T, having atone end the trunnions t, semicircular in cross section and resting incorresponding bearings, s, in the inner side of the bar S. The saidbearings are situated near opposite ends of the bar S, and are crossedby the longitudinal slots 8, which are not aligned, so that the bladesT, which pass through said slots, may be turned across each other. Thesaid blades are provided with corresponding longitudinal series ofadjusting-openings t, so that by passing a suitable pin, it", throughthe meeting openings in said series the blades may be crossed atdifferent angles. The said devices R are secured to the side of thetwisting-frame F, on which are the pieces Z in the cylinder end, onebeing situated below the twisting device and one thereabove, so that thepickets may be placed between the outer ends of the blades T, and theirpositions from the frame F adj nsted by the means described.

The manner of adjusting and holding the wires is the same as in similarmachines of this class, and after the wires have been twisted on theedge of one picket the twisting-frame is moved far enough therefrom toinsert another picket between the wires, which have their tension variedas desired by the described means.

It is obvious that after a picket has been secured by the twist the nextpicket is secured by an opposite twist-that is, the mo tion of the crankG is reversed and brought back to its original position.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a fence-machine, thetension mechanism composed of a frame provided with an upright, and thetension devices secured to said upright, and each consisting of therectangularly-bent bracket-plate, the reel-shaft journaled in the endsof the arms of said bracket-plate, and having one extended end squaredto receive a crank-handle, the eyebolt with its eye surrounding thecentral part of the reel-shaft and passing centrally through thebracket-plate and upright, and the nuts engaging the tapped ends of theeyebolt re spectively on the surface of the bracket-plate and on theouter edge of the upright, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the twister-frame, of the twisting devicesvertically adj nstable on said frame, and each provided centrally with achain-wheel, j, the chain K, crossing between adjacent twisting devices,the chainwheel P, secured to the extended end of the hollow cylindersofone of the twisting devices, the chain-wheel O on the shaft N,journaled in the extended ends of the pieces I of the twisting devicecarrying the chain-wheel O, the chain 12, and the crank-handle O,engaging the squared extended end of the shaft N, substantially asspecified.

3. The combination, with the twister-frame, of thepioket-adjustingdevices, each composed of the bar S, having the bearings s, and slots 8,and the blades T, provided with the semicylindrical trunnions t, theadjusting-openings t, and the pin t substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. OLINE.

\Vi tn esses:

AARON S. ZOOK, MIToHELL CHAMLEY.

